Referring to people

1st Person: I / We — Me / Us

SUBJECT PRONOUN

After a noun is mentioned the first time, we tend not to repeat it. Instead, we use a pronoun to refer to the noun. The first-person singular pronoun for the subject (the agent of the action) is I, and the plural pronoun is we.

SINGULAR

SAM. " I enjoy dancing."

PLURAL

LEA AND SAM. " We enjoy dancing."

OBJECT PRONOUN

The first-person singular pronoun for the object (the person or thing that undergoes or experiences the action) is me, and the plural is us.

This is not a mistake. Cars, boats, planes, ships, and other vehicles are often affectionately referred to as "she".

The baby dropped his / her sock. (We use gender pronouns with babies. When in doubt, we look for "pink" (female) or "blue" (male) clues, or we ask the parent.)

The dog dropped his / her bone. (We use gender pronouns with pets when the gender is known.)

Grammar Notes

It is I / It is me

"It is I" (very formal) vs. "It is me" (more common)

FORMAL

The old argument over whether to use a subject or object pronoun after a "be" verb can be simplified to formal vs. informal usage. Grammarians often look back to Latin (not French "C'est moi.") for resolution. Linguists look at present day usage.

May I please speak to Hillary Clinton? — I amshe. in speech

Who said that? — It wasI who said that. / I did.

Who is on the phone? — Itisshe, the Secretary of State. with a title

INFORMAL

In everyday usage, the object pronoun occurs after a "be" verb. A speaker may switch to the formal usage to add importance to the identity. "It is I, your mother, who is telling you what to do."

May I please speak to Hillary? This isher. / This is Hillary. (not: I am her.)